


Draco’s guide to seducing Harry Potter

by tsundanire



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Comedy, Community: hd_erised, Draco and Hermione are partners, Humor, M/M, Past Astoria Greengrass/Draco Malfoy, Past Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley, Post-Hogwarts, gratuitous department usage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-27
Updated: 2016-12-27
Packaged: 2018-08-30 06:23:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,549
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8521972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tsundanire/pseuds/tsundanire
Summary: After an accident, Draco discovers that Harry and Ginny have gotten a divorce. Hermione tells him to go simple and just tell Harry how he feels. But some things aren’t meant to be simple, and it seems like all Draco’s answers are written in a little black book called: Draco’s guide to seducing Harry Potter.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first time I’ve done a challenge like this, and boy was it ever a challenge. I feel like a really learned a lot this time around, and if I get the opportunity to do this again next year, I’ll learn from what I did this year and do things even better then! Limedmplr, thank you for being part of this fest, it was an honour to write something for you. I thought you should know that writing this actually inspired a sequel that is slowly being pieced together. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I loved writing it!

**1**

Every day at the Ministry just seemed to be just as cold, calculated, and as boring as one Draco Malfoy expected it to be. But that was the best price an ex-Death Eater could ask for, considering he at least still had a job within a Ministry he’d sought to undo…

Boring was good. Boring was safe. Boring was not the life a Malfoy knew how to live. Perhaps Lucius could have lived this way, considering his extra-curricular activities involving bringing back an old Master from the dead. But Draco found his life to be the same monotonous routine every single day, and it was starting to irritate the hell out of him.

And the best (or worst) part, was that poor Draco couldn’t figure out if he hated or adored his partner. Not adore in the romantic way of course, because gross… But Hermione Granger was top in her year for a reason. 

Many said that she was within range of being the brightest witch of their age, and who wouldn’t want that in a partner? But being partners with Ms. Granger, unfortunately meant spending an unnecessary amount of time with at least one Weasley (though sometimes there were many more dropping by now and again), and Potter.

Their relationship was often times strenuous, but after a rather life threatening incident involving saving one Hermione Granger from a manticore, (acting as a guard to an illegal potions smuggling ring) Draco and Hermione had managed to upgrade to at least first name basis. 

And as he recovered at St. Mungo’s from the injuries he’d sustained, Draco received numerous visits from almost the entirety of their year, thanking him for risking his life for Hermione. That whole experience had been rather strange at various intervals, including waking up to a room so full of Gryffindors, that Draco was surprised the whole decor didn’t just magically change to red and gold. 

Finnigan, Thomas, and Ms. Lovegood all paid a visit in the first week, bringing with them an assortment of candies, chocolates, and magazines about Blibbering Humdingers, or some such. (The latter being courtesy of Luna of course) But they weren’t the only ones either. 

Over the course of his three week recovery, Draco endured visits from various Gryffindors, the entirety of the Weasley family, Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs that Draco had encountered, and even a few he’d never recalled meeting before. There was even an impromptu visit from Draco’s Aunt Andromeda and young cousin Teddy, in which the toddler had hand crafted some get well pictures and cards. 

Even more surprising was the visit from Draco’s ex-wife, and young son. The divorce had been swift, both receiving exactly what they wanted and needed, and still managing a great friendship. But it was clear that their relationship would never develop beyond that of dear and beloved friendship. Still, Astoria locked away a tidy sum to keep her well taken cared of into old age, and Draco had an heir to the Malfoy name. No one could say that either was unhappy with the result.

That wasn’t to say that Scorpius didn’t feel loved and cherished all the same. He was as spoiled as Draco had been as a child, but also learned very different lessons than what typically came with the Malfoy name. 

Draco and Astoria both ensured that their son had no prejudices that came with blood status, and instead made sure to fill his head with everything opposite from Draco’s own childhood. He even took to heart suggestions that Hermione made here and there, about being a Muggle-born and the right and wrong words to use. 

But what made all these visits even more odd than they already were, was the constant vigil a Mister Potter kept at Draco’s room. Not always remaining in the room, Harry often took to lurking in the corridors and hallways when Draco had singular visitors. But it was rather odd, perhaps even stranger, to feel a bit comforted knowing that Harry Potter was right outside his door, guarding him while he slept. But it did leave more questions in his mind than answers. 

Hermione had also came in everyday, almost like clockwork, filling Draco in on all the boring parts of the office which usually included her completing and filing away all the paperwork for their reports. But the best parts, the parts where Draco was actually responsive were when Hermione divulged into the office gossip. It wasn’t that she was particularly interested, nor enjoyed gossiping, but Draco was. And he saved her life. So she mostly did it for him. Though, when that witch from R&D (the one who tried very hard to get between Hermione and Weasley) got in trouble for skipping procedure, Hermione seemed smug enough to enjoy the gossip. 

Every other day Weasley would come in with Hermione. He always said it was because of his lack of trust in Malfoys, but Draco knew it was all down to the candy and chocolate stash. Ron and Draco weren’t anywhere close to becoming best friends, but they had a rather uneasy truce when it came to sharing the chocolate. 

Hermione had apparently imposed a rather strict diet in their home, Ron had informed him one of the rare times he’d come on his own. He’d arrive an hour or so before Hermione finished work and simply meet her in Draco’s room, before eventually they walked home as part of some kind of fitness routine. 

During that hour, Ron would help polish off all the extra chocolate that Draco wouldn’t touch with a ten foot pole. Most of it was cheap garbage from Honeydukes and the like, whereas Draco always seemed to get the best kinds of goodies from overseas. Though he’d yet to receive a care package from his mother, come to think of it. 

Though it was probably just down to the fact that his parents were still in the middle of relocating to France. They’d probably send something once the fear of being found by the public had died down.

But the strangest, truly life altering, part of Draco’s hospital stay happened so quietly that it was almost insignificant, if he hadn’t already been attuned to Harry’s voice. It happened while Draco was just waking up from an afternoon nap. The lazy orange glow of late afternoon was streaming through the windows, and soft murmuring voices to his left, made actually waking up very difficult. It was cozy, and every bit as sickeningly Gryffindor as Draco imagined these moments to be, but that didn’t stop him from secretly enjoying it all the same. 

Which was why, when the whispering got louder, Draco found it difficult to actually stay asleep. He was quickly able to pick up that it was Hermione and Harry’s voices, but couldn’t quite pinpoint what they were talking about until Hermione spoke up, clearly no longer caring that Draco was still “trying” to sleep.

“Don’t be so obtuse Harry. You know very well that you should tell him, and that if it came from me, it’s going to go the same way it did in school.”

Harry grumbled a bit, his voice having taken on a slightly deeper tone after school ended.

“I don’t need you to lecture me ‘Mione… I know very well what I should and shouldn’t be telling him. But you can’t tell me that years of fighting over the tiniest things won’t turn it right around on me?”

Draco felt more and more confused as he listened… Were they discussing Ron? Or perhaps they were talking about someone Harry worked with. Didn’t he just get another new partner? He seemed to go through those faster than people changed underpants. Either way, Draco felt sure they weren’t talking about him, because what sane person talked about another person who was sleeping less than two feet away from them. Someone who could be fake-sleeping at that!

“Listen Harry, far be it for me to tell you how you should live your life. We both know you are old enough to make your own decisions. I just figured you would have learned your lesson with Ginny.”

Draco groaned inwardly, unhappy that the conversation was turning into a lecture about Potter learning lessons. One could create an entire syllabus on lessons Potter still refused to learn. 

“Yeah but it’s different. Ginny is still one of my best friends, and I just don’t know… I don’t feel like I know anything, or have any kind of control over the situation.” 

It was the unhappiest Harry had sounded in a long time. But that was more than Draco should have heard in the first place. This was meant to be a private conversation, and though the two dunderheaded Gryffindors simply assumed they had privacy in this case, it was probably time to make them aware of the non-sleeping individual in the room.

A slight shifting from his side to his back, a light yawn, and the very casual and innocent eye blinking Draco had used since he was a child, pulled Harry and Hermione from their conversation with nothing more than meaningful glances to one another. 

“Tea…” Awake though he was, Draco was not beneath making demands upon waking up. Even though technically it was only a nap, and it was just turning into early evening, the snippy blond always required a piping hot cuppa before he was truly conscious. 

With an amused roll of her eyes, Hermione prodded at Harry, who then (without a hint of irony) trotted off in search of a damned good cup of tea. How The-Boy-Who-Lived-Twice managed to be the only person able to find a decent Earl Grey in this sodding establishment, was completely beyond Draco.

Hermione, however, lived up to her reputation of being a witch who missed nothing, and without missing a beat as Harry left the room, turned her very sharp gaze on Draco. She narrowed her eyes, forcing him to pull up the sheets in fear of her somehow having gained x-ray vision.

“How much did you hear?”

It never earned Draco anything when he lied to Hermione. She **always** found out, and made him pay for it dearly when she did.

“How could you tell I was awake?”

“I probably wouldn’t have guessed at first. But you always have this habit of over-exaggerating when you fake waking up.”

She smirked just a touch, enough to send a very strange chill down his spine. Smirking was not a good look for someone so genuinely good. Being smug? Perhaps… But that was a different look for a different occasion. Rolling his eyes just enough to throw off the feeling of oddness, Draco tried to pinpoint just how much he had, in fact, caught.

“Not much. Just something about Harry having to tell someone something, and Ginny being his best friend or some such. That reminds me, I need to send her a thank you card for the tea she left last time. I don’t know how she does manages to pick the perfect blend each time… Potter is a lucky man.”

Hermione chuckled softly to herself. “Well apparently tea wasn’t a good enough reason to stay, so I guess Ginny will have to put her tea skills to better use with her next husband.” 

There was a quiet silence that was genuinely pleasant at first, until they both seemed to realize what Hermione had just let slip. At which point they both started talking over each other frantically.

Draco’s eyes were almost bugging out of his head while he shouted. “WHAT?” 

At the same time Hermione’s deer-caught-in-headlights expression paired with wild arm flailing, as if trying to flail the words back into her body. “NO! No no no! You should just forget I said anything!! Harry is going to kill me!!”

The Healer filed in shortly after Draco’s outburst, however, and shooed Hermione out of the room for the evening, much to the blond’s frustration.

“NO! SHE NEEDS TO STAY AND EXPLAIN JUST WHAT THE BLOODY HELL SHE IS TALKING ABOUT!”

The Healer narrowed her gaze, which must have been well practiced as it actually shut Draco up pretty quickly. However it didn’t stop him from trying to keep Hermione in the room, just in a much lower tone of voice.

“What do you mean about next husband, and not enough, and… And….”

He looked so damned desperate that Hermione took a bit of pity on him. She was halfway out the door, trying to make a swift getaway, when her head peeked back in. 

“They just got divorced. But you AREN’T supposed to know!! I’ll see you tomorrow, same time Dray.”

“DON’T CALL ME THAT!” 

That earned him a swat on the arm from the Healer, and a severe chastisement about not being the only one in this wing. Draco went to sleep that night, brain filled with utter noise and chaos, but with one solid thing in his brain. Harry had not been truly single since their early years at Hogwarts… And even then, there had never been a possibility… A singular chance. 

Dreams offered little reprieve from the new knowledge either, instead bringing back to the front of his mind all the scenarios that Draco had pushed back for fear of someone ever finding out how he truly felt about the Golden Boy of Gryffindor. 

____

**2**

**The next day: St Mungo’s First floor: Dai Llewellyn Ward  
**

The road to recovery was rather quick after that night. Something in those dreams surged Draco forward, with renewed energy and determination. Suddenly monotony was the worst option, and the thrill of chasing after Potter in whatever way filled his every waking thought.

Within the day, he was up and out of bed, trying to pack his things together. Much to the amusement of both Hermione, who’d come to visit, and the Healer, who shooed him back to his bed for the time being.

“I understand your impatience Mr. Malfoy, however I cannot release you from our care until you are completely cleared. You still have a bit of healing to do, however it’s looking like you’ll be out of here by week’s end.”

It was meant to be reassuring of course, but all Draco could think about was getting home and going through his old Hogwarts things. There was no denying what he wanted anymore. Potter had been a staple in his life since that first year, and while unfortunate circumstances had them at opposing ends for a while, it was looking like they’d managed to repair some of the damage that was done. 

Draco had even looked after Albus once or twice, subconsciously trying to insert himself into Potter’s life here and there. Their children now had regular play dates, though it was usually at their mothers’ discretion for timing and place. Which sadly meant that sometimes, more often than not, Draco was unable to join in on the play dates, and thereby lessened his time with Potter. 

But there were a few times when Draco felt a little twinge of happiness, holding little Albus in his arms while Harry held Scorpius. Albus was so physically similar to Harry, especially in the eyes. Everyone always said they were Lily Potter’s eyes, but all Draco saw was Harry reflected in the emerald green hues. 

But their children aside, Harry and Draco hadn’t really had much excuse to interact, beyond the occasional pub night.

Now however, it seemed like he had the opportunity he’d always wished he’d had. Potter. No, Harry was going to be single (if he wasn’t already), and Draco couldn’t stop thinking about all the things they could potentially get up to. It felt like being in school all over again, when everyone was getting crushes on each other. 

All the houses had been interesting in that regard. Ravenclaw seemed to be the most outgoing with their crushes, interested in more than just gender and house loyalty. Blaise had dated one briefly, and she had been a joy to be around simply because of the intellectual conversation. Hufflepuffs were mostly interested in Ravenclaws, but that hadn’t been a surprise, seeing how their houses often merged together in so many classes, and even meals. They were energetic and rather surprising in bed, which Draco only knew because Blaise had dated one of them too.

Gryffindors were notoriously inbreeders, dating almost exclusively inside their own house, as if other houses weren’t good enough for them. Of course, Harry had broken with tradition a bit when he showed interest in Ms. Chang, however ended up with a Gryffindor in the end. Though, there was something to be said about their courage and bravery because although Blaise hadn’t dated one, he had ended up in something of a foursome in the lion’s den. That was a conversation Draco wished he could have unheard. 

As for Slytherins, they were notoriously disinterested in pretty much everyone, on the outside. Known for being like Gryffindors and dating strictly within their own house, as well as being notoriously evil, Slytherins always ended up with quite a bad rep within the dating world. However, they also usually mated for life once they picked someone. Part of that was from the fact that most of Slytherins were Purebloods, and needed a Pureblood heir to continue their linage. 

Blaise, of course, was quite the exception to that rule, making himself a title within their house of “Slytherin Slut”. It was a title he wore with pride, not wanting to feel tied down to the rules of the house, or their predecessors. But as far as relationships went, their house kept things quiet and separate from the rest of the school. Though they did cover each other’s backs when needed, either as a fake relationship, or as something for the rest of the school to focus on so that no one would suspect the truth. 

Such was the case of Pansy Parkinson for Draco. Almost the entirety of Hogwarts had assumed they were either in a relationship, or were courting one another. As it turned out, that had been planned by the two of them, as well as Blaise and Theo Nott. Only Draco’s best friends had been aware of Draco’s feelings for Harry since the beginning, though it was mostly because they didn’t have to ask, it was clear as day to anyone with eyes. If anything, it was those same friends who made this point to Draco, when he was so deeply in denial. 

So to help draw attention away from the obvious, and Draco’s utter inability to leave the Golden Boy alone, they cultivated the idea of a romance between Draco and Pansy. Because of this, the blond “Prince of Slytherin” was able to slowly repress his feelings, and focus on the tasks his Father was pushing down his throat. Though, the ones that focused on Harry were usually more enjoyable than the ones that weren't. 

But now here they were, years later, and Draco suddenly felt like a first year again, trying to hide his enormous crush on Harry, trying not to spend hours staring every strand of ebony hair on his messy head, or desperately trying not to take note of everything Harry said or did.

_….Note._

_Note! That was it! That was the ticket!_

Somewhere buried in Draco’s old Hogwarts things, was a simple black dragon-skin bound notebook. It looked no different than any other notebook he might have brought to class, which was exactly the point. It was spelled to show notes for whatever class he was in at the time, so that if anyone happened to look at it, all they would see were Potions notes, or key equations for Arithmancy. 

But in actuality, that book was filled with everything to do with the Saviour of the wizarding world. Had that book been in anyone else’s possession, it would have looked more like something written by one of his many admirers. For years, everything and anything that Draco noticed about Harry was in this book. 

And by the end of the week, that book would be in Draco’s hands….

___

**3**

**Three weeks later: Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes  
**

“I need to you to sign off on all of these.” Hermione’s statement was punctuated with a heavy file being plopped onto Draco’s desk.

With a groan of defeat, he plopped his face down on top of the folder. 

“I thought you said you did all the paperwork already?” The response was somewhat muffled due to his unwillingness to lift his face from the folder just yet. 

Two days after remembering the notebook, Draco had been cleared and discharged from the hospital, and sent home to Malfoy Manor. The weekend was spent rifling through all his old school things, even going so far as to enlist the house elves in the search. Normally he didn’t call on them unless it was absolutely necessary (for fear of getting another one of Hermione’s long SPEW lectures), but this was definitely an emergency. 

After about a day’s search, however, they found it and Draco had not put it down since. Everything from Harry’s head to toe measurements, to his academic standing in all courses, and even little things Harry did when fidgeting. For example, when Harry was extremely bored, he would tap his fingers against anything solid, be it railing or a person. It had happened once recently when Harry had started tapping out a beat against Ron’s shoulder, until he was told to stop.

Harry also had a tendency to get physically cold every now and then. Draco had overheard Ron and Hermione talk about it once, when they had mentioned it had something to do with his malnourishment as a child. They supposed that his immune system hadn’t developed properly, giving him a lower natural body temperature than most other people. Which explained why he often either layered, or leaned against people to steal their body heat. 

There had been a time or two, during after work drinks at the local pub, when Harry had been sandwiched between Draco and Ron, and for a fraction of a second it looked like Harry had been about to lean into Draco, but realized it at the last minute and shifted to Ron. 

Draco had been marginally disappointed, but had shuffled it away into the folder he’d mentally titled ‘Anything Potter’, and tossed it into the mental trash bin. 

The book was now tucked away in the bag Draco had brought with him to work. He’d planned on reading it over in the morning, however Hermione’s meeting ran short and she’d been in the office with him since.

“I did technically fill out everything else, I can’t however forge your signature, aside from that being illegal.” 

Draco snorted in reply. He was saved however by a short rap at the door. Hermione didn’t even bother to face the door as she called out. 

“Come in.”

What entered was what could be considered the start of a really good joke. _So three gingers and a stunning brunet walk into an office…._

The train of thought had completely stopped there as Draco got his first really good look at Harry since the news broke. Draco hadn’t given a single clue to the fact that he knew about Harry’s new status, and instead took the opportunity to really take the man in. 

He’d stopped doing this in 5th year as a way to push his feelings deeper inside and away. The more he looked at Harry, the harder it would have been to hide how he felt. But now, there was no shame in looking, no one to tell them it was wrong or that they could never be. 

Draco had a plan in his back pocket, or bag as it were, all he needed was some time to look it over and put it into action. Of course, Harry took that moment to glance over at Draco, whose cheeks reddened a bit at having been caught staring. Instead of the narrowed eyes, or disgruntled look Draco had come to expect from the brunet, there was a softening of facial features and an almost smile directed at the blond. 

All Draco could do in response was blink owlishly. What the bloody hell was he up to? Did he know that Draco knew about the divorce? Did he know that Draco was planning to seduce the hell out of him?

No, that would be silly. Harry was as dense as a fruit cake when it came to matters of affection and love. 

“Oi! Malfoy!” 

The booming voice pulled Draco from his thoughts once more, and pulled his gaze to the tallest Weasley in the room…. Strange, but he wasn’t one Draco recognized, and therefore was likely one of the older siblings. Pulling his face into some sort of calm, desensitized expression, Draco turned his attention away from Harry, and into the horde of Gryffindors personified. 

“Yes…? How might I be of assistance?” The drawl was completely and utterly sarcastic, enough so that Hermione rolled her eyes, stepped closer to his desk, and swatted him gently on the arm.

“Don’t be a prat.” She whispered to him, keeping her head turned from Harry and the rest. “It won’t put you in his good graces….” With a wink, she turned back to face her family, all the while Draco could only open and close his mouth like a fish. 

“We are all going out for a bite. You interested?” Harry’s voice broke through the indignation swirling around Draco’s mind, managing to sound both tender and curious at the same time. A tone of voice that Draco had never heard aimed at his own person… For the second time in less than a minute, he was once again gaping like a fish.

“Uh, probably not a good idea Harry.” Hermione stepped in, seeing the look of panic written clearly across Draco’s face. “I just gave him all the Donis vs. Magistrate papers to sign. After that he’s got to review all the paperwork I submitted for the Manticore case.” 

She looked back briefly to make sure that she’d done the right thing by stepping in, which Draco more than appreciated. Everything was still new and while it was all exciting, there was still a touch of fear that came with anything involving a mass of Gryffindors. 

A light nod was all he had to give before his partner ushered the group out into the hallway. Harry took one final glance behind, appearing almost disappointed with the turn of events, but he was gone a moment later taking that look with him.

Draco’s face connected with the pile of paperwork once more, letting out a low groan of exhaustion. Had every encounter with that group drained him this much? 

Hermione ran back in quickly to grab her coat and say her goodbyes. “I won’t be too long, maybe an hour for lunch at most? Charm me a memo or send an owl if there is anything pressing.” She nattered on, voice carrying on over a mile a minute. 

“S’fine. Jus’ go.” Came Draco’s mumbled reply from the desk. 

“You alright? You sure you don’t want to take some more time and rest at home?” The concern in Hermione’s voice was palpable, and Draco couldn’t help but feel appreciative at the motherly care. 

“Go on. I’m fine. Just a bit tired is all. I’ll be fine here, unless I’m attacked by a monster paper cut while you are out.” 

Hermione could tell there was a scene coming, so she hurried to finish gathering her things. 

But Draco continued on, adding an edge of despair to his tone. One hand grabbed a hold of the desk, while he dramatically collapsed beneath it. 

“Oh no!! I’ve been eaten by the horrid desk! I’ll never survive!” 

“Alright you prat. I get it. You’re a big boy, and all that. Sign the papers, or else I’ll make sure you are stuck on paper duty for the next month.”

Draco wasn’t able to get the last word in, as after her threat Hermione flounced out the door and after her friends.

The sudden silence in the office reminded him of his other task for the day. Long pale fingers slipped into his work bag, and lifted out the leathery book. He held it carefully in one hand, while pulling out a quill with the other.

___

3  
Four weeks later: Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes.

It took four weeks for Draco to feel like calling it quits on his plan. What had started out as something solid and almost impossible to fail, was now looking like the most daunting task. Perhaps Harry just wasn’t as into Draco as he’d originally thought… Or perhaps he was doing something wrong. Either way, Draco now sat in a similar position to before, with his face pressed dejectedly into the paperwork he was supposed to sign.

His plans for seducing Harry lay to the side, Draco’s patience having worn thin simply from looking at it.

Perhaps there was something he’d missed along the way… maybe he could try to fix this some other way… Steel gray eyes scanned the paper once more, hoping to pick something up from one of his failed attempts.

_Draco Malfoy’s guide to seducing one Harry James Potter._

_1. ~~ **Gather intel.**~~ See Black book_

_2. ~~ **Potter enjoys Treacle tart the most. Leave one on his desk anonymously.**~~ Leaving on desk apparently means open season for anyone passing by his desk. Weasleys also enjoy confectionary treats._

_3. ~~ **Send the treacle tart by owl.**~~ Harry will thank literally everyone one else. Was not approached, but was regarded with narrowed eyes. Step backwards._

_4. ~~ **Potter enjoys Flying, Quidditch, and Broomsticks. Get season pass for Hollyhead Harpies.**~~ Ex-Wife plays for said team. Rita Skeeter wrote story about their impending reunion as couple. Harry grumpy for 5 days._

_5. ~~ **Potter gets flustered by overt romantic gestures in public. Write letter describing feelings and leave in his bag.**~~ Placed in wrong bag. Weasley and Granger had fight. Came clean to Granger. She thinks I should just tell Potter. Not going to happen._

_6. **Tell Potter how I feel, in person?**_

Hermione was probably right about simply telling Harry how he felt. But then again, she’d said as much while clearly trying hard to hold back from hitting him. Apparently the fight between her and Weasley had lasted through the week, and had only recently resolved thanks to some flowers and perhaps a book or two, both suggested by Draco of course.

The door to the office swung open, and his partner stumbled in, arms laden with stacks of rolled parchment and books. Apparently today was going to be a research day after all, which meant Draco’s plan to work on seducing the Golden boy of Gryffindor would have to wait till later. 

He jumped up and rushed over, taking some of the load and carefully placing them on Hermione’s normally tidy desk. The rest of them were dropped in the middle of the room, where the two of them would spend the next few hours going through. 

“Are you still trying to come up with plans over there?” His partner nodded her head to where Draco had left the little black journal on his desk. 

“No. Yes. Maybe.” Shifty eyes bounced from the table to Hermione and back again. 

“Oh for the love of hippogriffs Draco! You won’t get anywhere with that stupid list. You are just as dense as Harry and neither of you are bloody getting anywhere with this!” 

With that, Hermione strode out of the room still yelling about idiots, and having to grab the second stack of papers. Of course, it left Draco to wonder what on earth she had meant by **both** of them not getting anywhere. It wasn’t like Harry was interested, because otherwise one of these plans might have worked by now. They were genius, insightful, some of his best Potter-based work. Flopping back on the floor, Draco closed his eyes and tried to nap in the nest of parchment, at least until Hermione planned to return.

“I guess I shouldn’t really be surprised that Hermione does all the actual work around here.”

Draco shot up at the sound of Harry’s voice at the door. The ex-Gryffindor looked rather amused at seeing the blond sprawled across the sea of parchment on the floor. 

Standing and dusting his robes off, Draco shot Harry an annoyed look.

“What are you even doing here Potter? Not enough work to do over in Magical Law enforcement? Had to come and steal some of ours?”  
It hadn’t meant to come off as crass as it did, but sometimes it was hard to contain the Malfoy sass. Especially when a Malfoy was startled or caught unawares. 

Harry raised a brow, arms crossing in front of his chest, which somehow made him look far more imposing due to the impressive bulk he was gaining in training. 

“Well I _was_ going to see if ‘Mione was here. Wanted to see if she was coming to pub night tonight. I assume you’ll be there if she is?” 

It was the saddest attempt at finding out if someone was interested in going out later that night, but the edges of Draco’s lips twitched upwards all the same. Of course Harry was interested. How could he not have seen that before? Every single time there was an evening out with the group of friends, Harry was always the one casually asking if Draco was tagging along. Always wording it so carefully so as not to raise suspicion in either Draco, or their friends. 

“Yeah. Yeah I’ll be there.” Draco kept his emotions in check for the moment, though all he wanted to do was smile. But even something as simple as a smile would give him away. Harry however didn’t even bother to hide his smile, bloody Gryffindor. Always wearing every emotion on their sleeves. It’s a wonder that Draco hadn’t figured it out before.

He casually started picking up some of the books from the floor and placed them on Hermione’s desk, trying to get away from the beaming idiot behind him. The moment didn’t last however, as Hermione returned with only one book this time. 

“Oh Harry!” She glanced cautiously between the two men, wondering what might have happened while she was gone. “Have you been waiting long?”

“No no, he just wanted to see if we had any work to steal.” Draco mumbled teasingly, which pulled a surprising laugh out of Harry. Hermione looked between the two of them, once again wondering if something had happened before she’d come into the room. 

“I was just wondering if you were coming to pub night tonight. I thought it might be good to get out, since you guys have been stuck in here all week?”

“Actually Harry, I was thinking of just having everyone over to our place… Rose hasn’t been feeling well, so while I’m sure Ronald has every interest in getting out of the house, we should probably stay in tonight.”

Harry seemed to think about that for a moment while Draco awkwardly shuffled from Hermione’s desk to his own. On top was a file Draco was supposed to have submitted to Harry’s superior weeks ago, its contents spread across the desk in a messy haze. 

“Shit! Potter! Before you go, let me give this to you. It was supposed to go to Robards weeks ago but I completely forgot.” 

“Yeah alright. I’ll hand it off to him.” 

Draco quickly gathered everything together on the desk and plopped it into the file, before walking over and handing to the Auror in training. 

“Draco, you want to come over tonight? It’s going to be quite casual, and I think we are having some kind of stew.” The witch was already making mental lists of the things she needed to do to prepare for the evening, which meant she simply assumed he would be coming and didn’t actually need to hear an answer. That didn’t mean he wouldn’t give her one though. 

“Yeah alright. I suppose I could come around for a bit.” 

Harry tried to hide another smile, but it couldn’t be helped.

“See you guys tonight then. I’ll go drop these off with Robards on my way out.”

And out the door he went. What a beautiful sight that was. 

“You should mop up that drool in case he comes back.” Hermione mentioned smugly. 

___

4

That night: Granger-Weasley Residence 

Dinner had been absolutely divine, which was really saying something since it was cooked by hand, rather than by a house elf. There had been a number of unexpected guests throughout the evening, but they all brought with them gifts of wine, flowers, or some tasty desserts. Draco had arrived second, shortly after George and Angelina. Apparently their son was staying at a friend’s house for the evening, meaning they had the night to themselves.

Draco had come with offerings of the best wine Malfoy Manor had to offer. It was likely a bit ostentatious for this particular gathering, but decided that offering his best was like offering his home. And if he wanted to leave a good impression, starting with really good wine was probably a good thing. 

Twenty or so minutes after his own arrival, the Floo chimed at the same moment that several ‘Pop’ sounds were heard outside. Through the Floo came both Luna and Neville, who were ushered by Hermione into the dining room. And outside, Dean, Seamus, and Harry had all Apparated in. 

Draco lingered in the hallway that faced the front door, nodding to Dean and Seamus as they passed him on their way to the food. Harry however took his time at the front, chit chatting with Ron about something work related, and slowly taking off his jacket. Although his body and voice were completely focused on Ron, those green eyes that Draco loved so much kept straying towards him.

The look on Harry’s face was cautious but also deeply curious. It was a look that they’d all seen before, and which usually meant that Harry was planning on doing something either extremely dangerous, extremely stupid, or occasionally, both.

But that look was taking Draco in, inch by inch, as if assessing every part of him. It made Draco feel naked in spite of being fully clothed. And that feeling didn’t dissipate, even after they broke eye contact and moved on to where the food was. 

Hermione quickly shepherded everyone to a seat, somehow guiding Draco into the seat right next to Harry. A brief fiery glance was exchanged between them before chaos exploded all over the table. Everyone was reaching in to pile their plates full, laughter and loud voices excitedly chattering about everything and nothing. 

Draco took that opportunity to lean closer to Harry, and quietly whisper.

“What’s the matter with you today?” 

“What do you mean? Nothing’s the matter.” Harry’s voice caressed Draco’s ear, sounding too amused for his own good. Draco pulled back and narrowed his eyes with frustration. 

What kind of game was he playing at? Was he as innocent and dense as Draco had always assumed? Or had he grown up a bit, and learned some valuable lessons in regards to picking up on subtly and little nuances?

Draco would get his answer unexpectedly throughout that dinner, however. 

It started off innocently enough, after everyone’s plates were full and they’d started eating. A gentle tap against his knee, a soft feeling against his leg. Harry apologized at first, stating the size of the table was smaller than how many people it could typically accommodate. But then it happened a few more times, each touch lingering longer and longer. Until halfway through most people’s second helpings, Harry had managed to set his entire hand on Draco’s thigh, under the table, for a few solid minutes. 

Either everyone at the table were being super polite, or absolutely no one noticed or cared that Draco had turned a deep shade of crimson. He couldn’t even force himself to turn and look at Harry questioningly who, for his part, was still carrying on a conversation with George, beside him. 

Because of the way everyone was squeezed together at the table, it didn’t even look remotely odd that Harry no longer had both hands above the table. He was done eating which left his left hand free to longer on the table or gesture dramatically during the conversation. But that right hand… that glorious, wretched, firm right hand…. It stayed on Draco’s left thigh. 

At one point, Draco stopped trying to think about it, and turned to his right and engaged Luna in conversation. The abrupt shift in his body pulled Harry’s hand from Draco’s thigh, leaving behind a cool feeling where the warm hand had once been. 

But not minutes later, that hand had found its way back, and was gripping firmly. That hand was getting bolder by the second, slowly stroking up and down the full length of his thigh. Starting at the knee, and continuing all the way to the upper regions of Draco’s inner thigh. It was tantalizingly close to his bits, forcing Draco to internally argue with himself over wanting that hand to reach further up, or just leave him the hell alone. 

“Sorry Luna, what were you saying? I lost my thought there.”

Luna smiled in her usual ethereal way.

“That’s alright. I can see your head is filled with whackspurts. So is Harry’s actually. Must be going around.”

Draco gulped, and felt his face turn even redder than before. Damn Luna and her strange ability to pick things up. Of course Harry was distracted right now… His damned hand was in Draco’s lap, doing things that friends probably shouldn’t be doing to each other, let alone ex-enemies. But even as he thought that, Draco also wished that hand would do just a little more… Move a little higher… Help ease the pressure building between his legs.

“I was hoping to have you look over my most recent report on Nargles. I think you’ll find this one most interesting.”

Harry turned out to be a bit of a Legilimens apparently, because not a moment after having those thoughts, the hand boldly moved higher and very gently caressed Draco’s hardening nether region. His breath shot out embarrassingly fast, hips arching up just a little, but making it clear that he was definitely interested in more. Dammit, this was the most ridiculous circumstance to be in, at Hermione’s table no less. She would kick him out if she knew what Harry was doing to him right at this moment. He flicked a glance her way just to be sure, but she was deeply engrossed in conversation about children with Angelina. 

“Oh yeah? Tell me more…” His breath let out on the last syllable, which either Harry enjoyed or simply heard, because his hand gripped Draco’s length firmly, making his will apparent. So this was what Harry wanted… While it was less than ideal considering present company, it was Harry… Draco sure as hell wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth. Though they sure as hell were going to have a talk about this later.

“Are you sure you’re alright Draco? You seem like you might be getting a fever…” Luna tilted her head curiously, but Draco shushed her for fear of more attention being drawn to the situation and Harry’s hand leaving. 

“No, No. I promise I’m alright. I think it’s just a little warm in here from all these extra people. I’ll just drink some water.”

He smiled, trying to encourage her to go on with her report. He reached forward and started taking a couple sips of water, which turned out to be a very bad idea. Harry had decided that this would be a good moment to start shifting his hand up and down, generally stroking the fabric covered shaft that was now standing solidly to attention. Considering the tightness of Draco’s pants, there wasn’t as much room to work with, which meant the pleasure was on the edge of extreme teasing. Each stroke up had Draco arching his hips ever so slightly, in hopes of just a bit more touch. But it was never enough. 

“I think that they have the best chance of collection on the North side. But you’ll have to check the map for yourself.”

Luna had carried on with the conversation as if Draco wasn’t completely falling apart beneath the table. Which Draco was truly grateful for. 

“I assume you included it in with the file you sent me.” 

Beyond all reason, Draco managed to keep his voice calm and even breathed, albeit a little deeper than usual. It seemed to have a bit of an effect on Harry, however, whose hand had tightened firmly around Draco. 

It sent Draco spiraling towards the edge, almost there but not quite. At that same moment, Hermione decided to stand and suggest everyone move to the living room for desserts.

“Fuck…” Draco whispered. His eyes fell closed and his body shuddered with frustration. There was no way in hell he could get up right now. Harry’s hand left him suddenly, which meant Draco would be forced to sneak to the bathroom and finish off on his own. Damn that stupid bloody Potter… Starting something he’d no intention of finishing. 

Most everyone had made their way out, but Harry and Draco remained seated. Hermione passed by with a curious glance. 

“You guys coming?” 

“In a mo. I just have something I want to talk to Draco about. Some work stuff. You know.” Harry spoke so casually and with such determination that it was impossible for Hermione to stay behind with them. Which left the two of them, side by side, alone in the dining room, all the while loud ruckus could be heard in the room next to them. 

There was so much he wanted to say, but Draco couldn’t do anything other than try and control his breathing. 

“How long…?” Harry started, unsure of how or where to take this conversation. They both knew things were about to change between them, they’d been dancing this dance their whole lives. But getting the words out was never easy. Draco closed his eyes, took a deep breath in, and hoped for the best in the face of the inevitable.

“Since the first time we met. On the train. It was a different kind of feeling back then, but it’s all the same to me now.”

Draco tried to peek at Harry from the corner of his eye, but only saw that he was nodding.

“I wouldn’t have guessed. I honestly thought… Well I don’t know. I just assumed.”

“That I was straight? Only dated Slytherins?” There was the defensive sass again.

“That you were disgusted by me, and that getting you would have been a lot harder than this is now…”

Draco whipped his head around to stare at Harry’s completely open and unguarded expression.

“I… You… Wait, how did you even know I would be… Okay with this?” Draco gestured to his general crotch area, which caused Harry to laugh softly.

“Actually you told me.”

“I most certainly did not.” Draco looked scandalized, which only made Harry laugh harder.

“Well no. Technically you didn’t _say_ as much. But you did give me a pretty big hint.”

Harry stood and looked around to make sure no one else was watching, before pulling Draco to his feet and dragging him to the bathroom down the hall. He all but shoved Draco in and locked the door behind them. 

“What the bloody hell, Potter?!?” 

But before another word was uttered, Harry pulled Draco against him, kissing him as if they had to make up for all the years they’d lost being idiots. 

Draco melted against the slightly taller man, letting the fire of the kiss consume them both for the moment. Nothing else mattered at the moment, not even how Potter knew. No wait! That was important.

“Mmph! Potter! Oof!” Draco managed to pry himself away just enough to get some air between them, but that was about the extent of the distance either was willing to give at the moment. 

“What?”

“Tell me. How you knew.” Draco panted, lips leaning in just enough to tease Harry, retaliating for what Draco had just gone through in the dining room. 

“You left your book. In the file you gave me. I almost gave it to Robards. Dropped it on the way.” Harry smirked and reached into his back pocket, pulling out Draco’s dragon skin notebook. 

“You… Dammit Potter that’s my book! You aren’t supposed to be reading it!!” Draco snarled, trying to pull the book from Harry’s grasp, who was simply smirking. 

“Oh I read it alright. Thank you for the tart by the way… And the tickets. I honestly thought they might have been from a fan or something. I’d never in a million years have guessed they came from you.”

“Do shut up Potter and give me the damned book. Or I won’t be kissing you again anytime soon.” 

“You are adorable when you pout… How have I never noticed that?” He was only partly teasing, but it was true. Draco pouting was one of the few things on this earth that could make one Harry James Potter do anything. 

Dropping the book, Harry hoisted Draco up by the thighs, and pressed him into the wall of the bathroom. They’d have a deeper discussion later, all about their feelings, in between rounds in Harry’s apartment. After all, they had a lot of years to make up for. 

___

5

5 years later: Harry and Draco’s house. 

“Harry, hurry up. We are going to be late.” Draco whined from the front door. They were already supposed to have met up with Hermione and Ron at Kings Cross, but a certain someone was lagging behind.

“I’ll be right down, just give me five more minutes.” 

Draco rolled his eyes, knowing that 5 minutes Harry-time was usually 10-20 minutes everyone else time. He moved back to the den, deciding to kill boredom by going through one of his old boxes. They’d taken the weekend to sort through their old things and throw away what they no longer needed. Draco in particular was ruthless, tossing anything that had been in a box longer than they’d been living together. 

There were just a few more books to go through in the box, one of which looked rather familiar. Old, leather bound… This was his old journal on Harry… How did this get mixed in with Harry’s old things?

Draco flipped it open and nearly dropped it.

__  
~~Draco Malfoy’s guide to seducing one Harry James Potter.~~  
Harry James Potter’s guide to seducing one Draco Malfoy 

_1._ ~~ **Try telling him how you feel.**~~ He didn’t get it.  
2\. ~~**Let someone else tell him how you feel.**~~ ‘Mione doesn’t want to get involved.  
3\. ~~**Just get physical.**~~ That worked.  
4\. ~~**Get him to move in?**~~ Moved in with him instead.  
5\. **.....?**

_____

_FIN_

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! You can show your appreciation for the author in a comment here or on [Livejournal](http://hd-erised.livejournal.com/80340.html) . ♥
> 
> This story is part of an on-going anonymous fest hosted at hd_erised @ livejournal.com. The author will be revealed January 9th.


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